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Tuesday, 7 February 2017

This is the one section that has increased significantly this year.2014 £790-842015 £321-632016 £1441-62

It is always difficult to decide what should be included as a repair, or perhaps a consumable or equipment. This year I have totaled the following;

Hose/neoprene seal/adhesive...................43-67
Perspex for shower and side hatch..........20-00
Glue for shower perspex.........................10-00
Postage for solar MPPT.............................7-95
Construct and build new stove flue.......375-00
Alterations to battery wiring..................140-90
Remove old and fit new propeller..........100-00
Remove rudder and replace top bearing.100-00
Replace rudder bottom cup......................95-00
Cleaning and blacking of Hull...............550-00TOTAL 1441-62
The hose was for the bilge pump and the seal and adhesive was for the side hatch 'double glazing. The perspex for the shower was to go over the panel board that was left after having tiled the shower area. It works well and is very easy to clean.

Our MPPT solar controller packed up when in we were up the River Wey and after a few phone calls it was decided to send it back to the provider. It is quite a lump to post but Robin at M&R Controls charged me nothing for the re-configuring the unit. The new stove flue was required as it did not exit the roof so that I would be able to fit a double skinned chimney on to it. This was required as we were having the boat painted and I did not want tar to drip down the boat afterwards. Kim at the Little Chimney Co. did the work and I would recommend them to anybody. The alterations to the battery bank wiring was carried out at the start of the season to ensure proper charging of the system and more even discharge to save 'wear' on only one battery.

The boat went into dry dock at Streethay Wharf at the end of 2016 and as the externals were to be painted I had the rudder etc checked over and had the bearings renewed. The old propeller was a very thing metaled one and had been bent every year since we had it. Rather than just straighten and re-balance again I got a replacement with more 'meat' in it. Whilst it was out of the water I had the hull blacked, especially as it had now been three years since the last time. Although the overall cost is up there seems to be a fair bit for the money.

We were lucky when it came time to descend the Hatton Locks as we had a lock buddy boat that meant we were soon speeding down the fairly heavy locks. Coupled with a good day we were soon moored up in Warwick.

We had never been up the tower of the Collegiate Church of St Mary's before as it had always been closed so we took advantage this time. The views of the castle were very good. As I remember the tower of the church was the only part to be lost in the Great Fire of 1694. If the greater part of the church had been consumed many treasurers would have been lost. The tower was rebuilt in 1704.

In St Mary's is the Beauchamp Chapel endowed by the first Earl of Warwick Richard Beauchamp. On the left far wall is the tomb of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and his wife Lettice. He died in 1588 and she had the tomb built for them then. Robert Dudley was a great favourite of Queen Elizabeth I, so much so that she prevented him going to France to fight in case he was killed. In the foreground is the tomb of his brother, Ambrose, Earl of Warwick who was a soldier but led a quieter life than his brother and died in 1590. In the caged tomb to the right lies the splendid effigy of Richard Beauchamp who paid for the chapel in the church. He died in 1439 but the tomb was not completed until 1475 and survives as the most impressive of it's era. In the chaple is also the tomb of the 'Noble Impe', the sone of Robert Dudley who died aged three.

This collection of 14th century buildings that make up the Lord Leycester Hospital is a fantastic picture. The Chapel of St. James the Great sits over the archway and next to it is the Great Hall. The buildings were home to the Guilds of Warwick until Henry VIII. They now house the museum of the Queen's Own Hussars and alms houses for eight lucky ex servicemen and their wives.

After a few days we set off again and crossed over the River Avon. It is close to here that there are plans to have a branch to provide access to and from the Avon from the canal. I wonder if it will ever come about.

We didn't go far as we halted at Leamington Spa. It's actual title should be Royal Leamington Spa and this coat of arms is over the Royal Pump Rooms by the River Leam. They were the sixth spa well to be opened in 1814 and proved very popular. It is the only one left now. You can still take the waters for free from a tap just by the bridge. It is pretty disgusting though.

Leamington Spa Station was opened in 1852 by the Great Western Railway. It was rebuilt in 1939 and once again in 2008 where it was restored to it's Art Deco look.

After all the walking about in two of our favourite towns. Warwick and Leamington we decided that a couple of days in the sun would do us no harm, and Helen took good advantage straightaway.